Coal seam fire

Hey kiddo! Do you know what coal is? It's a type of rock that we use to create energy and heat. But sometimes, when coal is left underground, it can start burning all by itself! This is called a coal seam fire.

Now, imagine you have a piece of coal in your hand. It's hard and black, right? Well, deep below the earth's surface, there are layers of coal stacked on top of each other. These layers are called seams.

Sometimes, natural causes like lightning strikes or even spontaneous combustion can cause a fire to start in one of these seams. And because coal is packed together so tightly, it can keep burning and burning without stopping.

The bad news is that coal seam fires can be very dangerous. They release harmful gases into the air, can destroy the environment, and even cause sinkholes. Plus, they're very hard to put out!

Scientists and firefighters have to work really hard to try and stop the fire. Sometimes they use water, but that doesn't always work. Other times, they have to dig up and remove the burning coal, which can be really difficult and expensive.

So, there you have it! A coal seam fire is when an underground layer of coal catches fire and burns for a long time. It's dangerous, hard to stop, and can cause a lot of damage.